Gary Woodland did not just win last Sunday at Memorial Park. His PGA Tour win made headlines, moved galleries to tears, and gave the Texas Children’s Houston Open its most talked-about moment. But even before Woodland rolled in his final putt, Astros owner and tournament supporter Jim Crane already had his sights on something bigger.

“We want to be one of the best tournaments,” Crane told PaperCity. “The possibility we’d move to an elevated event, I know they’re working on that. We haven’t had many talks with the PGA Tour yet. But we want one of the best tournaments and stops on the Tour, and I think we have the facility here with 300 acres.”

The case for elevating the Houston Open is building itself. Despite Scheffler withdrawing days before the tournament started due to the impending birth of his second child and Rory McIlroy pulling back to manage a back injury, the 2026 Houston Open still had excellent attendance. Even though this season’s numbers have yet to come, we remember how ticket sales across the Texas Children’s Houston Open were already up 15% year over year in 2025.

Astros Golf Foundation president Giles Kibbe confirmed: “We set attendance records this year. So every year it gets bigger and bigger. Every year, the golf course is maturing.”

The history and scheduling of the PGA Tour’s Houston Open amplify all of these factors.

• The Houston Open was started in 1946 and has been played at several Houston venues until the 1970s. It is the largest fundraiser for the Astros Foundation and has donated millions to local charities.
• The tournament sits two weeks before the Masters and acts as one of the spots for pros to test their skills. Scheffler praised Memorial Park as an Augusta preparation in their 2025 pro-am, pointing to the ryegrass fairways and demanding second shots that mirror conditions at Augusta National.

“Good preparation between here and Augusta,” Scheffler acknowledged.

Adam Scott left a note this week calling Memorial the best-conditioned course he had played all year. Shane Lowry came specifically because he had heard the course was exceptional, and according to Kibbe, he will be back.

Woodland set a course record of 21-under 259. He won $1,782,000 from the $9.9 million purse. What made this victory even more special was it came weeks after revealing his PTSD struggles following the removal of a baseball-sized brain tumor in September 2023. He even wore shoes designed by 15-year-old Texas Children’s brain cancer patient Ceci. He also called the course setup unbelievable.

Golfers are not only playing at Memorial Park; they are actively involved in its transformation. Brooks Koepka helped redesign it and has supported its growth. This helped the Municipal course gain a reputation as a high-quality, Tour-ready venue.

Largely, everything contributes to Crane’s Signature Event push.

• PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp proposes doubling the number of Signature Events from eight to 16, which feature 120-player fields, cuts, and $20 million purses with $4.5 million for winners. Implementation could start in 2027, but 2028 is more likely.
• Rolapp has also stated that the Tour competes in only four of the top ten U.S. media markets and wants events in larger markets. The fourth-largest city in the nation, Houston, almost fits both criteria.

Texas Children’s sponsorship runs through 2028, but a $20 million purse may require more wealthy backers. But Kibbe is direct.

“We know that Houston is going to be a big part of the PGA Tour. We want it to be one of the bigger tournaments on Tour. So we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”

The blueprint already exists in the PGA Tour history

The PGA Tour has done this in the past. Back in 2023, it elevated select existing tournaments into “Designated Events” with $20 million purses rather than creating new ones. The Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Memorial Tournament were among the first to receive that status.

These designated events were rebranded as Signature Events in 2024, forming the Tour’s top tier outside the Majors and The PLAYERS Championship. The formula was consistent: an established tournament, a proven market, strong player reception, and the financial backing to support an elevated purse.

The Houston Open qualifies, and Jim Crane has a track record of making long shots land, having turned a $680 million Astros purchase into a $3.3 billion franchise. Is the Houston Open’s elevation next on that list?